Brentwood Yoga Center

Sandy Carmellini:

Founder/Creator

Sandy is a graduate from the Advanced Studies Teacher Program at the Yoga Room in Berkeley (a three-year training program with over 1000 hours of training) and a RYT (registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance.  She has been teaching yoga since 1998.  She has held many yoga retreats and workshops in California, Hawaii, Sedona, Mexico and Italy!  Her 18 years of experience as a corporate facilitator adds to her passion for training and educating others.  Sandy’s background in dance enhances her teaching style where she sequences movement and breath while focusing on detail.  Her instruction is accepting and fun and very educational.  Classes are taught primarily in the Iyengar method which focuses on creating healthy movement and balance in the body by using props (if necessary) to allow comfort and stability in poses. 

Andrew Allen:

Andrew is a graduate from the Integral Kriya Yoga Instructor Program (250 hours).  He has been practicing yoga for 25 years.  He is a member of the Self Realization Fellowship of Paramahansa Yogananda.  He has also studied with Swami Hariharananda, Swami Veda Bharati, and Mata Amritanandamayi.  Andrew is a professional body worker, Aikido practitioner and studies TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). 

Maria Allen:

Maria is a graduate from the Integral Kriya Yoga Instructor Program (250 hours).  She has been studying yoga since 2000 and teaching yoga to kids during P.E.  She is a local elementary school teacher in Brentwood.  Maria also attended teacher training at the Esalen Institute.  Maria enjoys integrating yoga in everything she does.

Rod Ciocho

Rod received his formal teacher training with Mark Horner in June 2001. He also studies annually with Zhander Remete. Rod's style blends the precision of the Iyengar style with the flowing style of Vinyasa Yoga. Some basic Pilates exercises, which he studied prior to yoga, occasionally show up in his classes. Emphasis is placed on integration of proper posture, moving from the core, breath, and attention. Rod began his practice of Yoga to help with the pain associated with scoliosis and muscular imbalance. He soon discovered the vast richness of yoga and how it affects all aspects of ones life, both physically and spiritually. Rod sees yoga as a vital discipline for taking full responsibility of one's life and one's health.

Shawna Scizak

We teach a variety of styles of yoga,

however, most classes will be taught in the Iyengar style which focuses on discovering proper alignment and balance in the body.  We use yoga props such as blankets, blocks, bolsters, chairs, etc. in order to make poses comfortable and safe for all bodies.  We wish to create health, endurance, agility and strength in the body.  We believe creating this symmetry will reduce fatigue, soothe the nervous system and ease chronic pain.  The various work done at our studio will stimulate your digestive, circulatory, respiratory and lymphatic systems.